Man,
if I didn’t want to go to Wacken before, no one can hold me back
now! Why? Because Ministry will be there, and if their live
performance is anywhere near as fuelled as “Rio Grande Blood”,
you simply wouldn’t want to miss it.

The
album starts out with the title track, a blast-speed hammer
including priceless manipulated samples of Al Jourgensen’s
favourite aversion, George Bush. And from there on, Tommy Victor
and Jourgensen show that they’ve found the Slayer guitars
somewhere at the back of the closet where they were left after
“Psalm 69”, and they’ve certainly been retuned for action.

Second
track, “Senor Peligro” is a veritable lesson in thrash guitar
added that industrial coldness that is one of the Ministry
trademarks. Next up is the stomping staccato anthem “Gangreen”
that sounds a lot like Clawfinger’s nineties hit “Warfair”
with the addition of Sgt. Major, a nasty sounding marine corps
officer.

Fourth
track, “Fear (is big Business)”, combines the stomp with
ultra-speed thrash guitar and machine drums. “Lies Lies Lies”
grooves appropriately, whereas the next three tracks, “The Great
Satan”, “Yellow Cake” and “Palestina” are full-on thrash
tunes. “Ass Clown” features Jello Biafra which of course
guarantees some extremity. This track is the one on the album that
reminds me the most of Ministry’s early glories circa “The
Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”.

Closing
track, “Khyber Pass” features an ethereal female voice and Arabic tunes and like
“Gangreen”, this track stands out from the rest with an
altogether different atmosphere (and less aggressive guitars).

The
partnership between Jourgensen, Prong head honcho Tommy Victor and
Killing Joke bassist Raven is really a marriage made in hell. The
blend of thrash metal and industrial is near perfect. It grooves
and moves and should ensure a bunch of new fans when Ministry
tours
Europe
in the summer. Come join the Ministry of fun!

Oh,
if your vote goes to Mr. Bush, you should probably avoid this
album altogether…be warned.